Troy-bilt pony?

[George Marsh]

Have a chance to buy a 5 hp briggs troy-bilt pony. Are they any good?
Thanks
George
 

[Virginia Mike]

They are mighty light. Not the tiller the Horse is.
They do OK for cultivating, but not for tilling new ground.
Troy-bilt is owned by MTD now.
 

[mhfjim]

It depends on what year it is. The original Pony was as heavy built as the horse of the same time period. They had a 4 1/2 horse Clinton engine and the Horse used a 6 horse Tecumseh. These were built in the late 60's and early 70's I believe.
 

[George Marsh]

I purchased it for $300. The guy I bought it from bought it new about 13 years ago. He had a very small garden. 5 hp briggs.

I wanted a small light tiller, getting to old to turn the big boys. Also wanted a Briggs.

Don't have to worry about tilling sod. I have a grass cutter to remove any good sod and put it where it is needed.

I like the attachments that came with it too.

Has to be better than the front time tiller I plan to sell.

Thanks,
George
 

[old]

Any rear tine tiller will beat the heck out of the front tine types. I have used this troy built I have now since 1972 when my dad got it and if you use it in the same area year after year you can almost just let it go no hands and it will till good. Only time you have to do any real work with them is at the end of the row where you turn it around and that is more being quick then any thing else.
 

[George Marsh]

Has anyone seen anything like this?


 

[t.r.k.]

One thing that I have noticed about Troybilt Ponys: For some reason some of them have counter rotating times, some have forward rotating tines. I don't see any way to change direction on the gearbox.

Having test-run both here at the shop, the counter rotating tine models seem to work a lot better.
The Forward rotating tine models seem to try to run away if the tine catches on anything.
 

[REXBEAVERS]

did it brake with the carb on it was it running when it happened i seen it happened once when i guy drop something on the carb but intake broke
 

[George Marsh]

I wish I had known about the counter rotating tines. My pony wants to jump out of the ground when it digs into a weed with large roots. It has forward rotating tines.
 

[cwtech]

George:

I think you can salvage what you have, if the rest of the engine is in decent condition.

If you use JB Weld to re-attach the broken piece (and seal where it broke the breather chamber), you can reinforce the carb mounting area by cutting a piece of 10-12ga steel to the shape of the intake gasket.

I would then epoxy the steel plate to the aluminum block (being sure a seal was made around the intake port) to eliminate the thickness of a gasket between the plate and block.

Use a single B&S intake gasket (some B&S engines had a double gasket) between the carb and the steel plate.

If the upper carb mounting threads are stripped in the block, they can be re-threaded for a 5/16"-18 bolt or filister head screw.
 

[rustyj14]

A feller traded me a Troy-bilt horse for two walk behind lawn mowers. engine had thrown a rod, but i put a new one in it, and it was good. Electric start. I sold it to a friend, and he is still using it. that was about 6 years ago.
 

[rustyj14]

Do not despair! One of the answers you got is the best way to fix it-the one with making a thin tin plate like the gasket, and epoxying it into place. Scatch the glue side of the tin plate so the epoxy can get a grip on it. Hopefully, you have the piece that is broken out?! Rusty